Flexible metal revetment



Oct. 6, 1936. w. H. EVERS FLEXIBLE METAL REVETMENT Filed April 18, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l AWE/W0? Mum/v A! [was WQ M/ ITTOR/VEKS Oct. 6, 1936. w. H. EVERS' 2,056,349

FLEXIBLE METAL REVETMENT Filed April 18, 1935 a Sheets-Sheet 2 0d. 6, 1936. w EVERS 2,056,349

FLEXIBLE METAL REVETMENT Filed April 18, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 A fro/Mir:

Patented Oct. 6, 1936 UNITED STATES FLEXIBLE METAL BEVETMENT William H. Even, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Preplan, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 18, 1935, Serial No. 17,054

7 Claims.

forms comprised of units suitable for the facial.

or curtain walls of a revetment, transverse anchoring members which interlock with the facial walls and are automatically adjustable relatively to the latter, and suitable interlocking strengthening and supporting members for the transverse members, which strengthening and supporting members are automatically adjustable relatively to the transverse members and are used in such numbers and in such positions as satisfy the requirements of the particular revetment. The facial or curtain walls I term reveters, the transverse anchoring members counterf0rts", and the supporting and strengthening members laterals" and "struts.

My improved revetment assembly utilizes forces and develops strengths which counteract the bursting pressure of the new earth fill for which the revetment is a facing, as hereinafter fully described. My improved metal revetments require a weight of metal only one-fifth or less of the total weight of reeni'orced concrete crib walls. 25 and only one-twentieth or less of the total weight of masonry walls, of present designs and of equal strengths, inasmuch as the allowable working stresses for these other structures as compared with the workings tresses of the standard metal forms used in my" improved revetment are approximately as followsz tension, substantially 1 to 20; compression, substantially 1 to 20; and shear, substantially 1 to 400. Furthermore, in the event of the destruction of my improved re- 35 vetment, substantially all of the metal units can be salvaged; whereas, most of the materials utilized in the construction of reenforced concrete and masonry retaining walls, and concrete crib walls, would be lost or be obsolete for further use. e

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means embodying my invention, such means disclosing, however, but a few of the various forms in which the principle of the invention may be applied.

In said annexed drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective of one form of my improved revetment assembly;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section. taken in the plane indicated by the line 2-2, Figure 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows, this view being taken through the reveters constituting the curtain wall and immediately in front of certain counterforts, laterals, and struts, this view also indicating by dot-and-dash line the plane of revetment rupture, by reason of the strains and stresses set up through settlement of earth fills and other reasons, if these strains and stresses are not adequately resisted by suitable revetment construction;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse section of a revetment, showing a modified form of reveter units;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing a still further modified form of reveter units;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section, similar to Figure 2, but having modified anchoring rear ends for the counterfort units, these rear ends serving as abutments which are anchored in the earth fill and being of a construction similar to the reveter construction in the front curtain wall; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective of a counterfort construction serviceable as a pile to form a footing when the earth at the base of the fill is unreliable.

The claims of this application are limited to the improved flexible metal revetment structure.

Referring to the annexed drawings in which the same parts are indicated by the same respective numbers in the several views, an earth fill I, Figure 2, is provided with an embankment facing consisting of my improved flexible metal revetment assembly which is constituted as follows: A front or curtain wall consists of a vertical series of horizontally opposed corrugated plates 2 secured together at their meeting edges by welded joints 3, and having top and bottom curved hearing or socket portions 4. The vertically adjacent pairs of plates 2 are spaced somewhat apart by means of cylindrical bearing members 9, preferably tubular, whose outer curved peripheral surfaces cooperate with the sockets 4 to provide for the relative sliding of the members 9 within and upon the socket walls 4 up to a maximum movement of about 30 degrees. The cylindrical bearing members 9 may abut end-to-end so as to extend the full length of the curtain wall, thus providing a completely closed facing for the abutment or, preferably, as shown in Figure 1, the members 9 consist each in a comparatively short cylindrical length which laps the meeting ends of adjacent pairs of plates 2, thus forming longitudinal openings 5 in the facing wall between the contiguous ends of adjacent members 9 and between vertically adjacent pairs of plates 2.

The cylindrical members 9 are welded in areas 8 to transverse counterforts comprised of opposed pairs of corrugated anchoring plates 6 which are welded to each other at their meeting edges 1. 5

fare welded at their ends to concave plates M adapted to accommodate outwardly-extended portions l5 of the corrugated counterforts 6. The portions l5 of the counterforts 6 are slidable in the curved plates H.

Inasmuch as the counterforts 6 are slidably adjustable upon the reveters 2, and are also slidably adjustable relatively to the laterals I0 and struts l3, the entire revetment structure is flexible, with the exception of the front curtain wall which will remain in a given position and present an unbroken and undisturbed front, irrespective of any settling which may occur in the earth fill and of any strains or stresses which may be set up by reason of such settling or for other reasons.

For a comparatively low revetment, ten feet in .height or less, the footing consists solely of a continuous cylindrical member 9' laid longitudinally and embedded in the firm earth. Along this tube 9 are interlocked the reveter units 2, either in perpendicular position, or on a batter conforming to the inward slope of the revetment. These reveter units 2 are held in position by the interlocking of the counterforts 6, the latter extending at right angles to the longitudinal, face of the curtain wall and being of ample length to extend deeply into the embankment and to be firmly embedded in the earth fill. However, the counterforts 6 may be laid at any convenient angle to the perpendicular face of the curtain wall, within an arc of 30 degrees, since no lateral or strut is necessary in a low revetment. For these low structures the counterfort 6 must be long enough to extend into the embankment a distance greater than the height of the revetment.

In the construction of my improved revetment, the destructive forces in retained embankments have been thoroughly analyzed and the effects thereof overcome. These destructive forces consist principally of the earth pressure calculated at an angle of repose of 30 degrees, irregular settlement of a new fill, lack of drainage, and the resultant bursting pressure which is transmitted in part horizontally but principally downward along the interior of the curtain wall, with the maximum pressure at the toe and heel at the bottom.

To withstand the additional pressure at the bottom sections of the revetment, I increase the gauge of the metal units there used, without, however, changing the unit design. All destructive forces existing in the embankment have been neutralized by means of the skeleton structure. The assembly of revetment sections, by reason of the manner of positioning the units, utilizes the forces in the embankment but, further, inasmuch as these forces shift during the period of settlement of the earth fill, the skeleton frame is made flexible by the particular manner of interlocking the several units. It is evident that the interlocking reveters as assembled in facial plane, and separated from each other by the cylindrical members 9, assure perfect drainage.

It will be evident from the description and the accompanying drawings that all the units used in my improved revetement assembly are equally serviceable in reversed position in the skeleton frame, providing, whichever way they are used, the same section, design, strength, and flexible interlocking arrangement.

If, perchance, it is desired to resist unusual stresses created by the settlement of the earth fill, by means of providing additional rigidity in certain parts of the revetment, the interlocking arrangement is such that the particular units at the resultant planes of pressure created by the settlement can be welded together, without destroying the flexibility of the revetment as a whole.

I direct particular attention to the essentialness of the counterfort 6 as a. unit in the skeleton assembly, This counterfort is positioned at substantially right angles to the face of the revetment, acts as a buttress and a positioner of the curtain wall sections, and is anchored into the earth fill far enough so that it develops frictional resistance sufiicient to counteract the bursting pressure of the embankment at the curtain wall. Inasmuch as undeterminable strains and pressure are created by the settlements of new fills, the counterfort 6 is designed to interlock flexibly with the facial units 2; therefore, changes in position of the counterfort 6 caused by the settlements will not destroy the position of the interlocked curtain unit 2 in the facial wall plane. Specifically, this is provided for by terminating the counterfort 6 at the front end in a tube 9 which revolves within the end socket of the reveter 2 and is designed to revolve within an are equal to any possible settlement of the counterfort G.

The whole revetment is principally used to hold and retain the toe slope of an embankment, in order to prevent land-slides. The bursting pressure of a new earth fill is always transmitted downwardly to the footing and this pressure increases rapidly from top to bottom on the interior of the face wall. Therefore, it is essential to so design the facial curtain wall that it will resist the bursting pressure of the earth fill and its footing support. When the earth at the base is firm and incompressible, the load of the revetment and the embankment is readily supported thereby, it being necessary only to begin the footings below the frost line.

I shall now describe some modified forms of my improved revetment construction.

Referring particularly to Figure 3, I therein disclose reveters It in the form of flexible box-like members having open fronts I! and concave ends l8 upon and within which the cylindrical members 9 are adapted to slide, the box-like member l6 being filled with any suitable masonry I9. This construction presents a combination masonry and metal front.

In Figure 4, I illustrate a form of front construction comprising box-like reveters 20 having concave end surfaces 2| upon and within which the cylindrical members 9 are adapted to slide, the fronts of the respective boxes 20 consisting of convex closure plates 20 extending outwardly substantially to the plane containing the extreme front portions of the cylindrical members 9 so as to present a completely metal skeleton front, of the particular construction and appearance described.

In Figure 5, I disclose rear anchoring ends for the counterforts 6 which are substantially the same construction as the cylindrical members 9 of the front curtain wall in that a second series of cylindrical members 22 are welded in the areas 8 to the rear ends of the counterforts 6 and are adapted to cooperate with and slide within the curved end sockets I2 of vertical laterals composed of opposed corrugated plates l0.

Referring particularly to Figure 6, I show a form of counterfort adapted to serve as a pile when the revetment is built on unreliable earth at the base. This pile construction comprises a cylindrical member 23 welded in the area 24 to opposed corrugated plates 25 extended at right angles to the axis of the member 23, these plates 25 being welded together at their meeting edges 26 and having plain abutting end portions 21 which when suitably welded together form a driving edge by means of which the pile can readily be driven into the earth. In the use of this counterfort construction as piling, the end member 23 serves the purpose of a cap, and the corrugated structure 25 serves the purpose of a pile. This pile is driven into the unreliable earth at the batter of the curtain wall, and its corrugations and width materially increases the side friction bearing of the footing. In other words, this pile structure serves the purpose of a masonry or concrete footing ordinarily installed to enable unreliable wet or quick earth to support the resultant forces and the pressure at the toe of the fill, by supporting and spreading the load.

What I claim is:

1. A flexible metal revetment comprising vertically-spaced cylindrical face members, transverse counterforts secured to said face members, and reveters bridging the spaces between said face members and having socket portions within which the face members may rotate.

2. A flexible metal revetment comprising a plurality of horizontally-spaced series of cylindrical face members, each series comprising a plurality of vertically-spaced members, transverse counterforts secured to said face members, and reveters each bridging the spaces between adj acently horizontal and adjacently vertical face members, said reveters having socket portions within which the face members may rotate.

3. A flexible metal revetment comprising vertically-spaced tubular face members, transverse counterforts secured to said face members, reveters bridging the spaces between said face members and having socket portions within which the face members may rotate, vertically-disposed laterals connecting the rear ends of contiguous counterforts, the latter being adjustable relatively to the laterals, and vertically-disposed struts connecting intermediate portions of the counterforts, the latter being adjustable relatively to the struts.

4. A flexible metal revetment comprising vertically-spaced transverse corrugated plates adapted at one end for seating within an earth fill and provided at the other end with a bearing member, supports intermediate the spaced plates and adjustably engaging the plates at the support ends, and facing members between the bearing ends of adjacent plates, said facing members having bearing portions adapted to cooperate with said bearing members to provide for relative rotative movements of said plates and facing members.

5. A flexible metal revetment comprising vertically-spaced pairs of opposed connected corrugated plates adapted at one end for seating in an earth fill and formed at the other end with cylindrical bearing members whose axes lie in planes substantially at right angles to the planes containing the axes of the several plates, supports intermediate the spaced pairs of plates and having curved ends respectively adjustably engaging an upper plate and an opposed lower plate of two adjacent pairs of plates, and facing plates comprising opposed pairs of corrugated plates between adjacent cylindrical bearing members, said facing plates having curved bearing portions adapted to slidably engage said bearing members.

6. A flexible metal revetment comprising vertically-spaced opposed pairs of horizontally-extending corrugated facing plates, the plates of each pair being welded together in spaced areas, said plates having upper and lower curved edge portions forming bearings, tubular members respectively engaging adjacent upper and lower bearings of vertically adjacent pairs of plates, counterforts secured to the respective tubular members and having their axes at substantially right angles to the planes containing the respective axes of said tubular members, and reenforcing supports secured to vertically-adjacent counterforts.

7. A flexible metal revetment comprising vertically-spaced cylindrical face members, vertically-spaced cylindrical rear members, counterforts extended between and secured to therespectively opposed face and rear members, reveters bridging the spaces between said face members and having socket portions within which the face members may rotate, abutments bridging the spaces between said rear members and having socket portions within which the rear members may rotate, and reenforcing supports secured to vertically-adjacent counterforts.

WILLIAM H. EVERS. 

